Release Train Engineer

Job Title: Release Train Engineer

Location: London, UK (3 days a week in office)

SC Cleared: Required

Job Type: Full-Time

Experience: 8+ years

Job Overview:

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Release Train Engineer (RTE) to facilitate the successful delivery of our cutting-edge Azure Databricks platform for economic data. This platform is critical to our Monetary Analysis, Forecasting, and Modelling capabilities. The RTE will serve as a servant leader and coach for multiple Agile teams, ensuring alignment with programme objectives, removing impediments, and driving continuous improvement within the Agile Release Train (ART). This role demands a strong understanding of Agile principles, excellent communication and facilitation skills, and a passion for fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.

Responsibilities:

• ART Facilitation:
• Facilitate ART events, including Programme Increment (PI) Planning, Scrum of Scrums, System Demos, and Inspect & Adapt workshops.
• Drive the cadence and synchronisation of ART activities, ensuring alignment with the overall programme roadmap.
• Coach teams and stakeholders on Agile principles and practices, promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Impediment Removal:
• Identify and escalate impediments that block the progress of the ART and individual teams.
• Work with stakeholders to resolve dependencies, manage risks, and mitigate issues proactively.
• Facilitate cross-team communication and collaboration to ensure smooth workflow.
• PI Planning:
• Lead the preparation and execution of PI Planning events, ensuring clear objectives, well-defined features, and realistic commitments.
• Facilitate the development of PI Objectives and ensure alignment with strategic themes.
• Track progress against PI Objectives and report on key metrics.
• Continuous Improvement:
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement within the ART by facilitating retrospectives and implementing agreed-upon actions.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Champion the adoption of Agile best practices and principles.
• Stakeholder Management:
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including business owners, product managers, and technical teams.
• Communicate ART progress, risks, and dependencies effectively.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure alignment on priorities.
• Metrics and Reporting:
• Collect and analyse key metrics to track ART performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Provide regular reports on ART progress to stakeholders.
• Use data to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Collaboration with System Architect/Engineering:
• Work closely with the System Architect/Engineering to support the architectural runway and ensure technical alignment within the ART.

Skills & Experience:

• 5+ years of experience working in an Agile environment, with at least 3+ years in a Release Train Engineer or similar leadership role.
• Deep understanding of Agile principles, practices, and frameworks (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe).
• Proven experience facilitating large-scale Agile events, such as PI Planning.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills.
• Strong problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to influence and motivate teams without direct authority.
• Experience working with distributed teams.
• Familiarity with Jira or similar Agile project management tools.
• Experience in a data-driven environment is highly desirable.
• Experience with Azure Databricks or similar big data platforms is a plus.
• Desirable Skills & Experience:
• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) or SAFe RTE certification.
• Experience working with economic data or in the financial services industry.
• Knowledge of DevOps practices and principles.